Method of developing photographic sensitized films



Mar. 6, 1923.

E. 1. SWEETLAND.

METHOD, OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS. FILED JULY 21-1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E. J. SWEETLAND.

Mar. 6, 1923.

METHOD OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2-- FILED JULY 21,1919.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

ERNEST J. SWEETLAND, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

' METHOD OF DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED FILMS.

Application filed July 21, 1919.

To a?! whom it may concern lie it known that l, Emvns'r J Swnnrcann, acitizen of the United States, residing in the town of liloutclair countyof Essex, and State oi? New Jersey. United States or Adlltll'lCil haveinvented certain new and usetl'ul Improvements in Methods of: DevelopingPhotographic Scnsitized Films. ot which. the fol lowing is a.specification.

This invention relates to a novel method of handling and manipulating aphotographic film whereby the same may be developed in an exceedinglysimple yet thoroughly safe and ilieient manner.

Two princi ial objects are achieved by the present invention. One oi?these objects is to obtain the utmost simplicity in the handling oi thefilm whereby the method or process may be readily practiced by amateursor unskilled persons. and the second principal object to provide a wayof handling. manipulating and protecting the sensitized film to therebyinsure a thorough and uniitorni development of the film throughout itsentire extent while at the same time lacilitating the washing and fixingoperations without danger of light exposure until the lihn may behandled in the open light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of ClGYGlOPIDODttor a sensitized iihn which especially available for the so-callcddaylight film development, and

which may be carried out with no apparatus other than a. protecting andcovering deveL oping hair. such as disclosed in. my former Patent Xe.1.285.462. dated November 19, 1918. and (-iji-peuijling ap iilication.Serial No. 1 .1509. filed December 20th, 1918.

Though various mechanical devices and expedients may be utilized incarrying forward the present method. the preferable apparatus. however.employed to facilitate the arious operations. is shown in. theaccompanying drawings. in which Figure l is a sectional view of acollapsible developiiv bag with the film spool and the two hands of anoperator shown in the operative position that they occupy while the filmbeing uns 'iooled.

l igure is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in l igure l. with thetop side oi" the bag shown broken away to expose therein the film spoolwith the duplex paper strip being drawn in one direction, while thewiisitixcd and exposed illll'l held by the clip or other holding means.

Serial No. 312,258.

Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus in the position it takes with thefilm strip extended and flattened out for developing, washing and fixingoperations.

Figure at is a view of the apparatus in the same condition as shown inFigure 3, excepting that the open end portion of the bag is turned up toillustrate how the liquid may be poured into and discharged from the bal igures 5, 6 and 7 are detail views showing form oi the apparatus inwhich the bag may be fitted with a filler tube to facilitate theoperations employing the liquids for developing the film and for fixingand wash ing the negative. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

A distinctive feature of the present invention resides in the method ofhandling and manipulating a film spool within a developing bag orchamber whereby the sensitive exposed film may be unspooled by the actof drawing out the paper strip in a direction opposite and away from thefilm.

In explanation of the unspooling operation referred to particularreference may be had to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. wherein isshown the flexible and collapsible rubber tube 1 herein termed thedeveloping bag. This developing bag is closed at one end as at 2. amlthe opposite open end portion 3 thereof adapted to be gathered over onearm and wrist of the operator to provide a light-tight closure at theopen end of the bag. while at the same time permitting the same to bepaid-out'to the necessary length as the sensitized film is unrolled. Inthese particulars. the device 1. which constitutes the developing bag.is similar in construction and function to the corresponding deviceshown in my former Patent No. '1. .62, but. indicated, the unspoolingoperation is accomplished by utilizing a holding clip et-to engage oneend of the film 5 and a drawing clasp 6 adapted to engage the end of thepaper strip 7. which, together with the film 5 are rolled or wound upona single spool S. A pull cord or chain 9 attached to the clasp Gfacilitates the fingers ot the hand inserted. in the developing bagengaging with either the pull element 9 or the clasp (3 to provide fordrawing the same in a direction toward and through the open end oil thebag while the holding clip 4 is located within the closed end portion ofthe bag" and is held between the fingers of the other hand of theoperator on the outside of the bag. Thus, with the parts so related, thesensitized fihn can be readily unspooled from the spool '8 by the act ofdrawing the' paper strip 7 out toward and through the closed end portionof the developing bag. After this has been accomplished and the filmheld in an extended position the oper ation of developing can be carriedon within the bag without any danger of the film becoming light struckuntil it is ready to be removed from the bag.

In order that the various operations involved in the handling and.manipulation of the film spool may be more fully appre ciated andunderstood, reference will now be made to some of the steps of themethod which should be articularly and carefully observed in followingout the same. First, after breaking the seal of the exposed film underthe exercise of proper care and not unrolling the paper sufiiciently toadmit light to the end of the exposed film, the drawing clasp 6 isattached to one end of the paper strip 7 and the holding clip at isattached to that end of the film which is not sensitive and simply theend portion of the film which holds the film in proper position in thecamera, that is to say-the "dead end of the film is engaged by theholding clip 4-.

After attaching the clasp (5 and the clip at respectively to the paperstrip 7 and to the end of the film 5, the film spool and clip are placedin the bag with the right hand. and with the left hand the bag isgathered up on the wrist and forearm until the clip and spool reach thebottom or closed end of the bag, after which the clip is engaged betweenthe fingers of one hand and. the pull cord or chain or drawing clasp (3are engaged by the fingers of the inserted hand, as readily shown inFigure l of the drawing, so that the act of pullingout the paperautomatically unrolls the film and spreads it out in the bag. v

The drawing; upon the paper strip 7 is continued until a few inches ofthe paper protrude from the. bag, and then a light weight placed on thebag near the open end, thus keeping the mouth of the bag closed againstthe table while the paper is withdrawn from the slit formed by the lipsof the bag. In the meanwhile the left hand rests on top of the bag backof the spool and prevents the film from slipping, and the operatorcontinues to pull out the paper until there fe t a sudden stop whichoccurs when the spool. has almost reached the mouth of the bag. and thisstop occurs because the end of the film is attacl'ied to the paperstrip. It is now necessary to hold the left hand firmly on thebag andits enclosed film so that the film cannot slip out and the paper ispulled so as to detach the same from the film and thereby permit thespool and paper to be removed. In these operations, the fihn should beright side up; that is, sensitized side up, in thebag.

The advantages accruing by reason of the removal of the paper from thebag prior to development are important. A smaller (mantity of developingsolution may be used, thus ell'ecting economy in the use of the bag. Thedeveloping solution is maintained in, a clearer state, after once beingused, thus enabling its repeated use, since the liability of thesolution becoming;- contaminated by impm'itics in the paper, such-forinstance as soluble salts, might re-act unfavorably with the developingsolution or the chemicals used in preparing the film. Furthermore, whereautographic variety of film is used. agitation of the developingsolution within the has a tendency to disintegrate the autographictissue, thus causing particles of the paper to mix with the solution andrender it unfit for further use. These objectionable characteristics areentirely obviated by the removal of the paper according to my method ofdevelopment so that the solution is maintained in a state which rendersit repeatedly useable if desired.

hen the removal of the paper strip has been accomplished, with the filmin its eX- tended condition, shown in Figure 3, the open end of the bagis folded even with the end of the film and a second outside retainingclip 10 applied to serve the double purpose of holding the film securelyin position and forming a light-proof closure for the end of the bah.However, it will be observed that the said retaining clip 10 does notextend entirely across the width of the bag. but is disposed at one sideof one edge portion of the bag, thereby forming a lightproof closure andat the same time leaving a lateral liquid passage-way 11 through the endof the bag at one side thereof, as shown in Figure 4: of the drawings.This passage way permits the water or developer to pass in or out freelywhile filling or draining the bag. In the normal. developing position.the open end of the bag folds back over the clip 10, as shown in Figure3, and the solu tion will not run out, as the fold maintains part of theend of the bag at a higher level than the level of the solution in thebag. l suallv the clip 10 only extends about halfway across the bag toleave a well defined passage-way 11 which may be utilized, with the openend portion of the bag in the position shown in Figure 4., for thefilling operation.

and. for the draining operation the entire bag may be held by both handsin a straightened out position and canted to drain out the liquidthrough the passage-way 11. These are of course details in the handlingof the bag for the developing. fixing and washing operations detailed.instruction for which will be furnished by the manufacturer.

The present invention involves no change in the use oi the developingand fixing soluv. tions, but ol? course provides a novel way ofemploying these solutions in connection with a sensitized film which isheld in strip form in a collapsible developing bag, and in thisconnection it will be observed that other ways of introducing theliquids into the bag and draining the same therefrom may be resorted towithout departing from the present inventioi'i. For instance assuggested in Figures 5, (5 and 7 of the drawings, the bag may havefitted thereto at or near the closed end portion thereolf a tiller tube12 through which the liquids may be introduced. This tiller tube may beclosed when not needed by a closing clip or clasp l3. and when in use atunnel 1d: may be used to introduce the liquid. and for washingoperations the spigot 15 may be directly connected with the tube l2. andthe stream passed through the bag and out at the othe' end.

\Yhile l have illustrated and described certainllistltlll'ltliitttlltl(2S; such as the clip and clasp. which may beusefully employed in carryiirg out or practicing ot the inveu tion,these are mere conveniences and their use may be discarded since askillful operator can practice the invention wholly by hand, manuallyunrolling the film in the bag and holding it in proper position thereinduring the entire operation by the use oil? his hands only.

From the 'loregi'iing it is thought that the novel method ofmanipulating and developing the film will be readily understood withoutfurther description.

Having thus described. my invention. what l claim as new herein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. The method of developing photographic film. which inchu'les the step(it unrolling a film from the spool within a light-proo't co11- tainerby holding the free end of the film against movement and leaving thespool tree to move bodily while the covering protecting paper of thefilm. is being: withdrawn from the spool. thus causii'ig the spool torotate and move bodily in the direction of movement of the paper.

The method oil developing photographic film. which includes the step ofplacing the roll of film in and near the bottom of an elongatedlight-proof bag by gathering the bag over the fore-arm. then unrollingand straightening the film. within the bag by holding the free end of.the film securely be tween the ails ot the bag, while the covering paperis being unrolled and withdrawn from the spool as the bag is beingextended to normal position.

2). The method of developing photographic film which includes the stepof unrolling a film from a spool tree to move bodily within alight-proof container and sinniltai'ieously removing the protectingpaper from the film by drawing on the paper and thereby e'tl'ecting abodily movement ot the spool with respectto the container.

4. The mother! of developing plnitographic film, which consists in 1.lacing a roll of film within a light-proof container, holding the treeend of the film statioi'iary, and drawing on the protecting paper andthereby moving the spool bodily in a. direction away from the stationaryend of the him and unrolling the film trom the spool and simultaneouslyremoving the protecting paper from the film.

The method of developing photographic films. which consists in manuallyunrolling the film from a bodily movable spool positioned within alight-proof container by drawing upon the paper strip on the spool whileone end (it the film. is held stationary, and subsequently introducingthe developing solution into the container.

6. The method of developing photographic films, which consists inunrolling the film from its spool within a light-proof extensible bag byholding one end of the film stationary and drawing out the paper stripon the spool in the direction ot and simultaneously with the extensionof the bag, and subsequently introducing the developing solution intosaid bag.

7. The method of developing photographic films. which consists inmanually uurolling a fihn from its spool within a light-proot extensiblebag by holding the end of the film stationary within one end of the bagand drawing: upon the paper strip on the spool in the direction or and.through the opposite end portion of the bag, and subsequentlyintroducing the developing solution into said bag with the film stripextended therein.

ERXEST J. SlVlCETLi-XND.

